San Luis Obispo man loses manslaughter conviction appeal
January 10, 2021
Christopher Skiff
The California Court of Appeal rejected an attempt by the former owner of the Manse on Marsh to overturns his convictions for manslaughter and elder dependent abuse over the 2014 death of a dementia patient who walked away from the assisted living facility and was struck by a car.
A few days before Christmas 2014, Mauricio Edgar Cardenas, 65, was hit and killed as he wandered across Los Osos Valley Road. Because of the darkness, the 26-year-old driver of the vehicle was unable to stop.
Shortly afterwards, a whistleblower accused Manse on Marsh owner Christopher Skiff and Executive Director Gary Potts of fraud and elder abuse because they admitted Cardenas, who was diagnosed with dementia, even though the facility was not licensed to house patients with memory issues. Employees accused Skiff and Potts of violating laws for financial reasons.